“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is a dazzling piece of work, a heartening reminder of why TV and film can never replace live theater.

The riveting national touring production, continuing through Sunday at the Peace Center, offers a go-for-broke performance by Adam Langdon as Christopher, a young man with a brilliant mind but a host of personal challenges. (A second actor, Benjamin Wheelwright, alternates in the main role.)

At the heart of the play are two mysteries. The first: Who killed a neighbor’s dog?

The second: What has happened to Christopher’s mother?

Christopher, a fan of Sherlock Holmes, decides to solve both puzzles himself. The 15-year-old’s story becomes a journey of self-discovery as he learns to connect with others.

Christopher is brilliant at math and fascinated by the workings of the universe. He notices things in minute detail.

But he also faces an array of social challenges. He doesn’t like strangers and screams when someone touches him. He’s overly sensitive to light and some colors. He can’t abide metaphors and figurative language.

He relates best to his pet rat, Toby.

The 2012 play’s creators suggest that Christopher has an autism spectrum disorder, although his condition is never explicitly stated in the play.

Playwright Simon Stephens has done a remarkable job of adapting Mark Haddon’s popular novel of the same name.

The artful, hyper-kinetic staging, which originated at Britain’s National Theatre, is by Marianne Elliott, responsible also for the equally imaginative and dynamic “War Horse,” seen a few years ago at the Peace Center.

The designers of “Curious Incident” bring theatrical magic to the proceedings, helping the audience to see the world through Christopher’s perspective.

In Act II especially, theater-goers occasionally are subjected to a barrage of sound and visual effects — an indication of the sensory assault Christopher is experiencing.

Even without the technical wizardry, the story itself is engrossing and Christopher a winsome figure — sometimes difficult, yes, but earnest and sympathetic for his dreams and love of science and space travel.

Christopher is utterly alive to the world. A seeming disability thus becomes an advantage over most everyone else.

“I see everything,” Christopher says at one point. “Most other people are lazy. They never look at everything. They do what is called glancing, which is the same word for bumping off something and carrying on in almost the same direction.”

The spotlight is mostly on Christopher, but he’s not the only flawed character on stage. The overall message of “Curious Incident” is a conventional one, though wrapped in eye-popping pyrotechnics: We all need a little love and understanding.

Not a bad sentiment in challenging times.

For tickets to this superb production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” call the Peace Center at 864-467-3000 or see the website www.peacecenter.org.

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